A read/write channel parameter optimization technique in a hard disk drive having a read/write channel circuit reduces an error rate during a data read/write operation through optimization of read and write channel parameters, write channel parameters are optimized by searching for the optimized level of each write channel parameter in accordance with characteristics of all head/zone combinations from data write and read operations of the same number while varying levels of the write channel parameter. In read channel parameter optimization, an optimized read channel parameter combination is searched for by suppressing noise through data write and read operations of the same number on varied read channel parameter combinations.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A write channel parameter optimization method in a hard disk drive having a read/write channel circuit, comprising the steps of: designating a track as a test track in a selected one of a plurality of head/zone combinations, each head/zone combination including a zone on a disk surface and head of the hard disk drive corresponding to the zone; searching for an optimum level of a write channel parameter by writing a data pattern in the designated test track of a selected head/zone combination at each of a plurality of levels of the write channel parameter, and reading the data pattern written at each level of the plurality of levels of the write channel parameter to determine the optimum level of the write channel parameter; and performing write tests and read tests on the optimum level and on a default level of the write channel parameter to determine an optimized write channel parameter value, and recording one of the default level and the optimum level of the write channel parameter as the optimized write channel parameter value for the selected head/zone combination.
2. The write channel parameter optimization method of claim 1, further comprising the step of setting a stress condition for use during the searching for an optimum level of a write channel parameter step.
3. The write channel parameter optimization method of claim 1, further comprised of the optimized write channel parameter value being recorded in a maintenance area of a corresponding disk surface.
4. The write channel parameter optimization method of claim 1, further comprised of the designated test track being free of data write errors and data read errors in a corresponding zone of the selected head/zone combination.
5. The write channel parameter optimization method of claim 1, further comprised of the step of performing write tests and read tests on the optimum level and on a default level of the write channel parameter further comprising the substeps of: determining an error number for the optimum level and an error number for the default level of the write channel parameter by writing and reading a data pattern on and from the designated test track of the selected head/zone combination respectively with the optimum level and with the default level of the write channel parameter; comparing the error number at the optimum level of the write channel parameter with a predetermined threshold value determined from the error number for the default level of the write channel parameter; and recording the optimum level of the write channel parameter as the optimized write channel parameter value for the selected head/zone combination upon the error number at the optimum level of the write channel parameter being smaller than the predetermined threshold value, and recording the default level of the write channel parameter as the optimized write channel parameter value for the selected head/zone combination upon the error number at the optimum level of the write channel parameter not being smaller than the predetermined threshold value.
6. A read channel parameter optimization method in a hard disk drive having a read/write channel circuit, comprising the steps of: designating a track as a test track in a selected one of a plurality of head/zone combinations, each head/zone combination including a zone on a disk surface and a head of the hard disk drive corresponding to the zone; searching for an optimum read channel parameter combination by determining an error number for each of a plurality of read channel parameter combinations from data pattern write and read operations on the designated test track of a selected head/zone combination for each of the plurality of read channel parameter combinations to determine the optimum read channel parameter combination; and performing write tests and read tests on the optimum read channel parameter combination and on a default read channel parameter combination to determine an optimized read channel parameter combination, and recording one of the default read channel parameter combination and the optimum read channel parameter combination as the optimized read channel parameter combination for the selected head/zone combination.
7. The read channel parameter optimization method of claim 6, further comprising the step of setting a stress condition for use during the searching for an optimum read channel parameter combination step.
8. The read channel parameter optimization method of claim 6, further comprised of the optimized read channel parameter combination being recorded in a maintenance area of a corresponding disk surface.
9. The read channel parameter optimization method of claim 6, further comprised of the designated test track being free of data write errors and data read errors in a corresponding zone of the selected head/zone combination.
10. The read channel parameter optimization method of claim 6, further comprised of the step of performing write tests and read tests on the optimum read channel parameter combination and on a default read channel parameter combination further comprising the substeps of: determining an error number for the optimum read channel parameter combination and an error number for the default read channel parameter combination by writing and reading a data pattern on and from the designated test track of the selected head/zone combination respectively for the optimum read channel parameter combination and for the default read channel parameter combination; comparing the error number for the optimum read channel parameter combination with a predetermined threshold value determined from the error number for the default read channel parameter combination; and recording the optimum read channel parameter combination as the optimized read channel parameter combination for the selected head/zone combination upon the error number for the optimum read channel parameter combination being smaller than the predetermined threshold value, and recording the default read channel parameter combination as the optimized read channel parameter combination for the selected head/zone combination upon the error number for the optimum read channel parameter combination not being smaller than the predetermined threshold value.
11. A read/write channel parameter optimization method in a hard disk drive having a read/write channel circuit, comprising the steps of: designating a track as a test track in a selected one of a plurality of head/zone combinations, each head/zone combination including a zone on a disk surface and a head of the hard disk drive corresponding to the zone; searching for an optimum level of a write channel parameter by performing data write operations and read operations on the designated test track of a selected head/zone combination to determine the optimum level of the write channel parameter, and recording one of a default level and the optimum level of the write channel parameter as an optimized write channel parameter value for the selected head/zone combination; and searching for an optimum read channel parameter combination by determining an error number for each of a plurality of read channel parameter combinations from data pattern write and read operations on designated test track of the selected head/zone combination to determine the optimum read channel parameter combination, and recording one of the optimum read channel parameter combination and a default read channel parameter combination as an optimized read channel parameter combination for the selected head/zone combination.
12. A write channel parameter optimization device in a hard disk drive having a read/write channel circuit, the device comprising: a means for designating a track as a test track in a selected one of a plurality of head/zone combinations, each head/zone combination including a zone on a disk surface and a head of the hard disk drive corresponding to the zone; a means for searching for an optimum level of a write channel parameter by writing a data pattern in the designated test track for a selected head/zone combination, at each of a plurality of levels of the write channel parameter, and for reading the data pattern written at each level of the plurality of levels of the write channel parameter to determine the optimum level of the write channel parameter; and a means for performing write tests and read tests on the optimum level and on a default level of the write channel parameter to determine an optimized write channel parameter value, and for recording one of the default level and the optimum level of the write channel parameter as the optimized write channel parameter value for the selected head/zone combination.
13. The write channel parameter optimization device of claim 12, further comprising a means for setting a stress condition for use during writing data pattern and reading the data pattern written by the means for searching and reading.
14. The write channel parameter optimization device of claim 12, further comprised of the optimized write channel parameter value being recorded in a maintenance area of corresponding disk surface by the means for performing and recording.
15. The write channel parameter optimization device of claim 12, further comprised of the designated test track designated by the means for designating a test track being free of data write errors and data read errors in a corresponding zone of the selected head/zone combination.
16. The write channel parameter optimization device of claim 12, further comprised of the means for performing and recording further comprising: a means for determining an error number for the optimum level and an error number for the default level of the write channel parameter by writing and reading a data pattern on and from the designated test track of the selected head/zone combination respectively with the optimum level and with the default level of the write channel parameter; a means for comparing the error number at the optimum level of the write channel parameter with a predetermined threshold value determined from the error number for the default level of the write channel parameter; and a means for recording the optimum level of the write channel parameter as the optimized write channel parameter value for the selected head/zone combination upon the error number at the optimum level of the write channel parameter being smaller than the predetermined threshold value, and recording the default level of the write channel parameter as the optimized write channel parameter value for the selected head/zone combination upon the error number at the optimum level of the write channel parameter not being smaller than the predetermined threshold value.
17. A read channel parameter optimization device in a hard disk drive having a read/write channel circuit, the device comprising: a means for designating a track as a test track in a selected one of a plurality of head/zone combinations, each head/zone combination including a zone on a disk surface and a head of the hard disk drive corresponding to the zone; a means for searching for an optimum read channel parameter combination by determining an error number for each of a plurality of read channel parameter combinations from data pattern write and read operations on the designated test track of a selected head/zone combination for each of the plurality of read channel parameter combinations to determine the optimum read channel parameter combination; and a means for performing tests and read tests on the optimum read channel parameter combination and on a default read channel parameter combination to determine an optimized read channel parameter combination, and for recording one of the default read channel parameter combination and the optimum read channel parameter combination as the optimized read channel parameter combination for the selected head/zone combination.
18. The read channel parameter optimization device of claim 17, further comprising a means for setting a stress condition for use during the data pattern write and read operations by the means for searching.
19. The read channel parameter optimization device of claim 17, further comprised of the optimized read channel parameter combination being recorded in a maintenance area of a corresponding disk surface by the means for performing and recording.
20. The read channel parameter optimization device of claim 17, further comprised of the designated test track designated by the means for designating a test track being free of data write errors and data read errors in a corresponding zone of the selected head/zone combination.
21. The read channel parameter optimization device of claim 17, further comprised of the means for performing and recording further comprising: a means for determining an error number for the optimum read channel parameter combination and an error number for the default read channel parameter combination by writing and reading a data pattern on and from the designated test track of the selected head/zone combination respectively for the optimum read channel parameter combination and for the default read channel parameter combination; a means for comparing the error number for the optimum read channel parameter combination with a predetermined threshold value determined from the error number for the default to read channel parameter combination; and a means for recording the optimum read channel parameter combination as the optimized read channel parameter combination for the selected head/zone combination upon the error number for the optimum read channel parameter combination being smaller than the predetermined threshold value, and for recording the default read channel parameter combination as the optimized read channel parameter combination for the selected head/zone combination upon the error number for the optimum read channel parameter combination not being smaller than the predetermined threshold value.
22. A read/write channel parameter optimization device in a hard disk drive having a read/write channel circuit, the device comprising: a means for designating a track as a test track in a selected one of a plurality of head/zone combinations each head/zone combination including a zone on a disk surface and a head of the hard disk drive corresponding to the zone; a means for searching for an optimum level of a write channel parameter by performing data pattern write and read operations on the designated test track of a selected head/zone combination to determine the optimum level of the write channel parameter, and for recording one of a default level and the optimum level of the write channel parameter as an optimized write channel parameter value for the selected head/zone combination; and a means for searching for an optimum read channel parameter combination by determining an error number for each of a plurality of read channel parameter combinations from data pattern write and read operations on the designated test track of the selected head/zone combination to determine the optimum read channel parameter combination, and for recording one of the optimum read channel parameter combination and a default read channel parameter combination as an optimized read channel parameter combination for the selected head/zone combination.
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February 19, 1999
August 14, 2001
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